- Ben Way
Infobox Celebrity
name = Ben Way
caption = Ben Way with Prime Minister Gordon Brown
birth_date = birth date and age|1980|9|28
birth_place = flagicon|EnglandExeter ,Devon ,England
death_date =
death_place =
occupation =Entrepreneur
salary =
networth = loss £1 million (US$ 1.8 million)
spouse = None
footnotes =
children =Ben Way (born 28th of September 1980, Exeter, Devon, England) was one of the first dot com millionaires after developing a search technology called Waysearch which later became a business-to-business product called Pulsar. He was reportedly worth £18.3m in the 2001 Sunday Times Rich List. He started his first business in 1995 on his 15th birthday making him at that time the youngest company director in the UK.
Life and career
He won "New Business Millennium Young Entrepreneur Of The Year" in 2000 which was given to him by Gordon Brown.
However, after a dispute with the investors in 2001 he was diluted out of the business and lost everything. It is reported that he was in the Sunday Times Rich List under Robbie Williams the same day he could not buy a tube ticket.
He went on to advise both the UK and US governments in technology, before heading up technical and environmental investments and due-diligence for the Rotch Property Group who have over £1 Billion in asset management.
In 2003 he started [http://www.makingrain.com] The Rainmakers, which is an innovations and corporate venturing company. He also has involvement in a number of other companies.
In 2006, he appeared on the Channel 4 TV show "
Secret Millionaire " where he gave away £40,000 in a philanthropic act after spending two weeks in Hackney as a volunteer. £20,000 was given to a youth organisation, £10,000 to a young entrepreneur, and another £10,000 as a thank you to one key member of the Hackney community.Has been [http://www.makingrain.com/rainmakers_inspiration.html quoted] as describing the
Semantic Web as "the most powerful development of information management since the creation of the database"Launched in 2007 the social website HorsesMouth which made it [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/16/the_top_25_uk_web_startups/ into the top 25 UK web 2.0 start ups] more about the project [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/04/19/cnbpub19.xml here] .
In early 2007 he was invited to join [http://www.brightstation.co.uk/bsv/ben.html Brightstation Ventures] an $100m technology VC fund as the CIO (Chief Innovations Officer) where he has worked with projects such as
miomi and [http://www.shinymedia.com/ Shiny Media] .In September 2007 he launched the world first
POIP service, [http://www.viapost.com ViaPost] which allows printing of documents over the internet which are then sent by "Royal Mail "Publications
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/exclusions/ybwaysworld/nosplit/ybwaysworld.xml Telegraph Business Blogger]
* [http://www.whsmith.co.uk/WHS/Go.asp?isbn=0141323167&DB=220&Menu=Books How to be a Teenage Millionaire]
* [http://www.cityam.com/ City AM Columnist 2005-2006]upported Charities and Organisations
* [http://www.edge.co.uk/docs/loves/loves/?id=75:0:0 Edge(Advisor)]
* [http://www.annefrankawards.org.uk/index.php?categoryid=15 Anne Frank(Judge)]
* [http://www.iceedge.co.uk/docs/judges.php#5 Edge Ice(Judge)]
* [http://www.makeyourmark.org.uk/get_involved/grand_idea Make Your Mark(Judge)]
* [http://www.unltd.org.uk/template.php?ID=1&PageName=whatareunltdawards Unlimited(Judge)]
* [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1951867,00.html Pedro Club(Significant Donation)]
* [http://www.nesta.org.uk/programmes/future_innovators/news/launch/index.aspx Nesta(Advisor)]Awards and Achievements
International Who's Who Member
New Business Millennium Young Entrepreneur Of The Year
[http://www.ukprwire.com/Detailed/Business/Young_Guns_are_the_future_of_social_innovation_10495.shtml Young Gun 2007]
Television, film, and print
He has been in a number of documentaries including Britons Richest Kids(1997, Channel 4) and the Secret Millionaire.He also appeared in a reality TV show in 2001.
Productions of note:
"3 Minute Wonder on
Robotics " [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/generationnext/documentaries/3minutewonders/ Channel 4]"Strong Suit" Details Magazine USA
"His Way" front Page Business Magazine Group
"Dyslexia Rules KO" Independent on Sunday
"From rags to riches" Kilroy,BBC2
"Secret life of the Jetsetter main focus, Documentary, FoxNetwork, International Distribution
"The Business", Documentary, Major BBC production.
"NTBC", Documentary, ITN, International Distribution.
"The Big Breakfast", Internet Expert.
"Director Magazine", Piece on Entrepreneurs
"The Big Breakfast", Interview.
ITV, International Distribution.
"The Clever Money", One of eight Featured, Sunday Times Magazine, Four page piece.
"Interview with Trevor McDonald"
"Esther", BBC2
"GMTV", Young Entrepreneur Of The Year story.
"Sky News", Interviewed
"BBC World News", Feature
"Channel Ten News/Southern Cross Ten News", Reporter.
Politics
In 2006 he stood as a candidate in
Bayswater Ward in theCity of Westminster .References
* [http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/richard_tyler/blog/2008/06/30/will_britain_turn_its_back_on_entrepreneurs Telegraph piece on Go Green Plumbing]
* [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/money/article1330250.ece Piece in the sun about Eco-preneurs]
* [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/16c61800-0d38-11dd-b90a-0000779fd2ac.html Financial Times Comment On Commercial Mortgages]
* [http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=viapost&aje=true&id=070903000640&ct=0 Financial Times about ViaPost]
* [http://money.guardian.co.uk/workweekly/story/0,,1707012,00.html Entrepreneur Ben Way on a meeting of minds with telecoms boss Chris Moss]
* [http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/reality-tv/the-secret-millionaire-channel-4/ THE SECRET MILLIONAIRE: Channel 4]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2001/01/10/tldis10.xml One day, we'll take over the world...]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article649909.ece Trials of a whiz-kid on Murder Mile]
* [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/whats_on/listings/article644360.ece It pays to be the nice guy]
* [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1951867,00.html Liz Taylor adored it. Now a reality show is rescuing the Pedro Club]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0912259/ Link in IMDB]
* [http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1928028,00.html After wife swapping and celebrity sex, new reality TV phenomenon is ... philanthropy]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/midweek_20061122.shtml BBC Midweek]
* [http://diaryofamadmammy.blogspot.com/2006/11/secret-smile.html Secret Millionair Blog]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/rich/article/0,,191217,00.html No teenage kicks]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/health/2001/01/10/tldis10.xml&site=13 Telegraph article on Dyslexia]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/rich/article/0,,191217,00.html The Guardian Article]
* [http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/11/15/ftbaby15.xml The Telegraph article]
* [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1951867,00.html Observer piece on "Secret Millionaire"]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article1622286.ece Sunday Times Biog Piece]
* [http://www.channel4.com/player/v2/player.jsp?showId=6040 Channel 4 News Piece]
* [http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/business/29382/part_2/its-dotcom-boomtime-again-but-can-soho-really-be-the-new-silicon-valley.thtml Spectator Article]
* [http://technology.guardian.co.uk/businesssense/story/0,,1998625,00.html Ben Way commenting on the innovation environment in the UK]
* [http://education.independent.co.uk/careers_advice/article2653204.ece An education in the life of Ben Way, internet millionaire]
* [http://www.ukpreneur.co.uk/469/ukpreneur-catches-up-with-ben-way/ ukPreneur Blog]
* [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/55b96d0a-59b5-11dc-aef5-0000779fd2ac.html Viapost service to challenge postal operators]Links
* [http://www.makingrain.com/ The Rainmakers Ben Way's Main Company]
* [http://www.godine.co.uk/ Go Dine A Restaurant booking service Ben Way is involved with]
* [http://www.gogreenplumbing.co.uk/ Go Green Plumbing a London based green plumber company that Ben Way started]
* [http://www.edge.co.uk/docs/loves/loves/?id=75:0:0 Edge working with Ben Way]
* [http://www.execdigital.co.uk/Ben-Way-on-incubation,-acceleration-and-the-value-of-failure_5547.aspx Ben Way on incubation acceleration and the value of failure]
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